Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Bloomday, December 2010

Well I’m so excited that there is something, anything, blooming here in the garden in December! It’s Mahonia x media 'Charity’. This is the plant directly responsible for my escalating Mahonia infatuation.

I guess I should admit that the weekend before last, on the way home from a Seattle visit, I stopped at Tsugawa nursery, off I-5 in Woodland Washington, and added to my Mahonia collection. I finally purchased a plant I’ve been eyeing for awhile, Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’…

Their tag has it listed as hardy to 7b.

The last one I was eyeing at Cistus during a summer visit was labeled as zone 8.

Just in case it’s being tucked in the “greenhouse” until planting in spring.

Okay back to the blooms. There is one other “garden plant” blooming this December 15th, but it’s not in the garden any longer. It’s the pond plant Aztec Arrowhead, brought inside before the stock tank pond froze in November. This bloom had just barely started pushing out when it was brought in.

It seems to be responding to the indoor conditions just fine.

That’s the end of the blooms, but hey since you’re here what say I update you on exactly what the indoor conditions are? Since it’s grown a little more since the last time I posted pictures. In fact the plant territory has jumped the isle and is now expanded (where will the madness end?).

I needed an area for the wet plants to overwinter. The plants pulled from the pond and the Colocasia and Alocasia collection.

On the other side is the “desert garden” (I know the Bromeliads don’t belong in the desert, no worries they are getting moisture as needed).

Oh wait! There is one more little bloom….this one! It’s on the Blue Senecio, or Chalk Sticks, in the hanging succulent garden. Its past it’s prime but still worth sharing.

Thanks for stopping by to see what’s blooming this month. For the full show visit May Dreams Gardens.

15 comments:

Actually, you have quite a show. Mahonia is a favorite of mine and if I had some garden real estate, I would have a few myself. And your water plants, I can not have them either. I love the variety you show and also the good care they are getting.

MulchMaid, I am so impressed with the Aztec Arrowhead! Even if that one eventually kicks the bucket (and I hope it won't) I'll buy another next year...it bloomed all summer and has such great leaves.

Hoover Boo, it's just the husband and I and he's very tolerant. He just doesn't like the hauling of the big heavy plants downstairs.

Grace, you should get a M. m. 'Charity' don't you think?

RFG, OMG!!! That is one of my biggest spelling weaknesses...I have so many actually. Thanks for tactfully pointing that out. As a kid sweet and sweat always messed me up too, not a good couple of words to confuse.

I like how you're getting to live in the middle of your garden even when you're inside. It doesn't look like an obsession gone wild to me, but I've been called a botanical enabler a few times already...

Cool mahonias. So is 'Soft Caress' actually a soft plant? The mahonia I put into my parents' garden was a rigid, pokey thing that they weren't in love with.

James, yes! Soft Caress has not at all rigid or poky...the leaves are very soft. A botanical enabler huh? I think that sounds like an admirable trait.

Thanks for visiting Mac.

Denise, yes I suppose it is an operation. A couple more lights in the basement and another heater in the shade pavilion greenhouse and I fear we might set of some alarms with our energy use (as in the authorities will think we are harboring an operation of another sort).

Kimberly, I like your description, an "indoor nursery" it certainly feels like that at times.